As Gladiators (aka "Scandal" superfans) know, the Season 2 finale ended on quite the nail-biting, hair-pulling cliffhanger: The press had learned that Olivia Pope was President Fitzgerald Grant's mistress!

"There's a lot to be dealt with there and in true "Scandal" style, whatever you think we're going to do, we're not going to do," executive producer Shonda Rhimes told TV Guide.

Not only had Olivia been outed as the other woman, but her father (Joe Morton) — the Mystery Park Bench boss that gave orders to Scott Foley's Jake Ballard – showed up in her limo!

"When we pick back up, we're meeting her just minutes after the end of last season," Kerry Washington told TV Guide. "So, she's got a lot on her plate because she's dealing with two bombs: One, that her name has been leaked, and the other that her father is in this car with her. They're both pretty extraordinary challenges."

No problem. If there's one thing Olivia Pope can handle, it's an extraordinary challenge. #GladiatorsRule